30 Halloween Decorating Ideas

Spooky mantel

This vintage-inspired mantel will make your home feel haunted! Hang or lean a collection of flea-market vintage silver trays on the wall—the more tarnished the better. Gather pewter and black candlestick holders and fill them with black taper candles. If some of the candles lean a little, even better; it creates a spooky feel. Use old books from second-hand stores to vary the height of the candlesticks. Click below for more photos of this mantel.

Mummy-look

Wrap plaster-cloth strips (from a crafts store) around a balloon, following the directions on the plaster-cloth package. Leave open spaces as you wrap. When dry, remove the balloon and use a crafts knife to cut an opening for inserting the light. Place sphere over an orange or white battery-operated votive. Set your spheres on clear glass cake stands or similar displays.

Set the stage

As master of the macabre, Edgar Allan Poe makes a natural Halloween muse. Books feature the celebrated author's tales, setting the tone of our party. A vintage typewriter puts an exclamation point on the literary theme.

A murder of crows

Clear message

Black and orange whisper Halloween. The message on the lettered cards spells it out. Black feathers and dried leaves adorn the wreaths. Print out letters on cardstock, then string them together with black ribbon.